Fort Myers mayor on making a deal to lease out the Fort Myers Yacht Basin

The Fort Myers Yacht Basin is locked up, powerless, and waiting for the next move. But the city is confident a deal will be struck soon, and repairs will finally get underway.

Kevin Anderson, the mayor of Fort Myers, believes that there’s a lot of potential that could come from a deal with Suntex Marinas by leasing out the Fort Myers Yacht Basin.

“That’s gonna be very nice, very unique, something that’s a plus for our city,” mayor Anderson said.

Both sides started talking months before Hurricane Ian, and for months people living at the yacht basin protested the plan. That’s because it meant they would have to find somewhere else to go.

When the hurricane wrecked the yacht basin and caused moderate to severe damage to many of the docks, the city shut it down.

Most of the people who lived there and protested before the storm left the area.

“As leaders, we have to make tough decisions; we have to stand strong. And I truly believe that Suntex will do a good job for us that city staff will bring forward an agreement that will be good for the city,” mayor Anderson said.

The deal on the table calls for Suntex to invest around $30,000,000 to $40,000,000 to fix the property. In exchange, the city would lease the property for 30 years.

“With the option to 25-year extensions,” mayor Anderson said.

Nevertheless, there is still more work to be done.

“We have a lot of potential and promise there,” mayor Anderson said.

But, it’s one that mayor Anderson hopes rises to the surface.

Mayor Anderson told WINK News he believes that within the next month, this deal will be on the council agenda. That gives the public a chance to look at it and voice questions or raise concerns.